British Airways relaunches itself with new slogan that nods to its imperial origins | Daily Mail Online comments The ‘world’s favourite airline,’ which once caused a storm by dropping the Union Flag from its tailfins, has harked back to its Imperial past in a re-launch that is part of a £5billion investment programme. After a crippling 18 months of cabin crew strikes and the fall-out from terror attacks in 2001, British Airways says it is now ready to put a turbulent decade behind it and look to the future by starting ‘a new chapter’ . But it has also unashamedly gone back 90 years to its origins and early days as Imperial Airways – covering the four corners of the British Empire - to celebrate its ‘Britishness’ across the globe. Out with the old: BA's new slogan To Fly. To Serve will replace it's former motto 'The World's Favourite Airline' BA will launch a new 90-second TV ‘brand’ campaign on Wednesday – its first in ten years – with a cinematic TV and internet advert that celebrates its origins from 1919 through to the present day.

Ten serving cabin crew members appear in the advert, though neither they nor BA would say whether they worked or walked out during the recent dispute. The mini-film begins amidst flimsy-looking bi-planes and shades of ‘Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines,' before moving on to the pre-WWII days, when passengers could fly from Croydon with Imperial Airways to far flung parts of an Empire on which the sun never set. Nostalgic: BA's re-launch mini film will delight with its potted history of air travel that celebrates the firm's origins from 1919 to the present day. Here a De Haviland 51 bi-plane gets checked over History: A still from the advert sees the pilot of a silver De Haviland Dragon DH89 as used by Imperial Airways from Croydon to the four corners of the British Empire Moving on: The ad also features a Douglas DC-3 Dakota from 1949-50 flown by British European Airways (BEA) from Northolt It then winds through the decades of jet travel to Concorde and the present day.

The campaign coincides with a five-year plan to invest £5billion on new aircraft, including the giant Airbus A380 superjumbo, new interiors and new services.

BA's former motto of ‘the world’s favourite airline’ will be replaced with the company's coat of arms and the words: ‘To fly, to serve.’ Also appearing: A Vickers VC10 Flying for forerunner British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) in the 1960s from Heathrow On the tarmac: 1960s pilots make their way to the Vickers VC10s during the 'Aviators' advert Retired giant: The ad will also feature Concorde, which made its last flight in 2003 before being retired Modern: A British Airways 747 Jumbo Jet will also feature From bi-planes to whipped cream, Maggie's hankerchief and a merger: BA's 92-year history explained August 25, 1919: BA’s forerunner company, Aircraft Transport and Travel Limited (AT&T) launches first daily international air service between London and Paris, operating a single-engined de Havilland DH4A bi-plane from Hounslow Heath near current Heathrow.

It carried a single passenger and cargo including newspapers, Devonshire cream and grouse on two-and-a half-hour cross-Channel journey to Le Bourget. 1924: Four fledgling airlines, including Daimler Airways (a successor to AT&T) merge to form Imperial Airways Limited operating from the new London airport at Croydon to all corners of the British Empire and the Continent. 1939: Imperial Airways nationalised at dawn of second world war and merged with another to form British overseas Airways Corporation BOAC. After the war BOAC continued to operate long-haul and transatlantic while a new company British European Airways (BEA) flew Continental and domestic routes. 1950s-60s: The passenger jet age dawned as BOAC flew the Comet to Johannesburg in 1952 in 23 hours with five stops, and began the first transatlantic jet service to New York on October 1958, days ahead of their American rivals. 1960s: BOAC flies in from Miami Beach and is immortalised in a Beatles song – ‘Back in the USSR’. On another flight with BEA the Fab Four carry specially made flight-bags saying ‘BEAtles’.

1974: BOAC and BEA are merged and nationalised to form British Airways. 1976: BA launches the world’s first supersonic passenger service Concorde, with Air France. 1987: British Airways is privatised. 1997: British Airways ditches the Union Flag on its tail-fin, replacing it with a series of ‘ethnic’ designs from around the globe. It provokes immediate criticism with Baroness Thatcher famously draping her handkerchief over a model aircraft sporting one of the new tail designs at a Conservative party conference and calling it ‘awful’. 1999: British Airways announces it is ditching the much-criticised ‘ethnic’ tailfin logos on half its fleet and replacing them with a red, white and blue Union Flag-based design. The remaining aircraft follow suit soon afterwards. 2000: BA introduces the world’s first fully flat bed in business class as modeled by British Airways Chief Executive Willie Walsh (pictured). 2001: September 11 attack on the USA causes immediate shut-down of transatlantic airspace and a decade of strife for airline industry and passengers.

2008: Terminal 5 is opened by the Queen and becomes BA’s exclusive base. But the first day for passengers prioves a chaotic shambles as neither BA nor airport operator BAA are properly prepared. 2010: In the middle of a bitter 18-month dispute with striking BA cabin crew, the airline forms a joint business with America Airlines and Iberia. 2011: In January this year British Airways merges with Spanish airline Iberia to form the International Airlines Group (IAG). British Airways and Iberia become the first of an expected growing family of airlines to be accommodated within the umbrella of the IAG parent company. Launching the centrepiece advert at the headquarters of the British Academy of British Television Arts (BAFTA), BA’s chief executive officer Keith Williams said: ‘It represents the opening of a new chapter for British Airways.’ ‘The airline industry has been through some difficult times over the last ten years. ‘We have just passed the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the United States and everybody knows the dramatic consequences they had for air travel as well as the tragic human cost.’ What on earth...

Margaret Thatcher famously draped her handkerchief over a BA model aircraft sporting one of the new tail designs at a Conservative party conference in 1997 The lady's not for turning: The former prime minster described the designs as 'awful'. The rest of the tailfins were quietly phased out and replaced with Union flags ...And how the Daily Mail saw it on its front page on October 10 1997 He added: ‘We have been through other periods of severe disruption caused by pandemics, terrorist alerts, extreme weather, volcanic ash, and political instability. 'We have experienced record oil prices and the deepest recession since the 1930s. But British Airways has emerged from it all in good condition.’ Customer services director, Frank van der post, said the motto ‘To fly, to serve’ was on their coat of arms, on their uniform, and hats ‘and we are painting it back onto our planes.’ British Airways passengers breathed a sigh of relief in June when the marathon 18-month cabin crew dispute finally ended. Ten thousand BA staff accepted a peace deal which union chiefs described as an 'honourable settlement' .

Thousands of British Airways staff took part in 22 days of strikes last year, which cost BA £150 million. The conflict spread to other areas after BA withdrew travel concessions from Unite members who went on strike, and took disciplinary action against a number of staff. The giant Unite union said 92 per cent of its cabin crew members voted in favour of a peace-deal at BA with 8 per cent against in a turnout of 72 per cent. BA stressed that the strike was ‘an irrelevant factor’ in screen-testing the ten cabin crew and three pilots who feature in the advert. Captian Trevor Keema said: ’We’re moving forward now.’ Controversy: Members of the Unite Union gather amid the British Airways cabin crew strikes in 2010 A Royal opening: The Queen, left, opened the £4.3billion Terminal 5 at Heathrow in 2008, but passengers had to endure days of misery with delays, right Yesteryear: In 1936 the Imperial Airways Boulton & Paul 71A Mailplane, G-ACOX Boadicea commanded by Captain A.C.

Thomas crashed in the English Channel while flying to Paris Cruising: Britian's biggest air liner, Imperial Airways' Scylla flies towards Rochester in the 1930s Even less leg room: A rather dapper pilot looks on in an Imperial Airways Armstrong Whitworth Argosy passenger cabin from the 1920s BA has not always had an easy time of ‘re-branding’. In 1999 it announced it was ditching the much-criticised ‘ethnic’ tailfin logos on half its fleet to replace them with a red, white and blue Union Flag-based design. It confessed that UK customers had not been won over by the abstract ‘world images’ designs introduced two years earlier. The much-criticised £60million re-branding featured designs from Delft pottery to Chinese calligraphy and were commissioned from artists to reflect the airline's ‘cosmopolitan’ outlook.

Stepping out in style: Passengers climb out of the Imperial Airways Handley Page HP42 from the 1930s 'To Australia in nine days': Imperial Airway Flying Boat, Cordelia, sets out from Southampton to Oz on June 26 1938 But the move in 1997 provoked immediate criticism. Baroness Thatcher famously draped her handkerchief over a model aircraft sporting one of the new tail designs at a Conservative party conference. The former prime minster described the designs as ‘awful’. The rest of the tailfins were quietly phased out and replaced with Union flags. Airlines show off new flying colours as the aviation industry undergoes a makeover | Daily Mail Online Share Both Southwest and Frontier's redesigns were leaked on Twitter ahead of the official announcements. An aviation expert suggests that the airline's new designs signify that they are going through a change in corporate identity. Both are completing deals - Southwest will finalize a takeover of AirTran Airways in the near future and Frontier is attempting to cash in on the budget market by becoming a low-cost carrier.

New Frontier: Frontier Airlines redesigned its fleet as well this week, with the trademark array of animals on the tail staying but it has reverted to an older version of the Frontier logo Specifications: The airline has thought through every single detail of its new design for its brand Jonny Clark, an airline brand specialist and founder of thedesignair.net told CNN that airline liveries have a shelf life of 20 years or so. But lately there's been a spate of aircraft redesigns. Other airlines which have decided to rebrand include: Air New Zealand, American and Iberia. Other airlines on the brink of doing the same are Abu Dhabi airline Etihad. ‘In the last couple of years, there's been an influx of new aircraft into a lot of fleets: 777s and A380s. ‘A lot of airlines have taken advantage of this opportunity to create a point of differentiation,’ explains Clark. American and European brands, he notes, tend to follow a similar aesthetic, known as ‘Eurowhite’ known for its simplicity. But not all airlines want to follow the current trend. Several carriers in the Pacific Rim have liveries reflecting local design culture.

Hawaiian Airlines introduced its regional subsidy, 'Ohana by Hawaiian,' using a local aesthetic when crafting the new livery this year. The carrier teamed up with father-and-son design team Sig and Kuha'o Zane to craft a look that honoured the local culture. Hawaiian Airlines: It recently decided to extend its branding beyond the plane, and teamed with local arts collective Pow! Wow! Hawaii to custom design its ground service equipment at Honolulu International Airport Artistic: The artists incorporated Hawaiian Airlines' inter-island route map as a basis for the design Fiji Airways also re-branded itself earlier this year drawing inspiration from Fijian Masi art, and used motifs, particularly the Teteva symbol on the tail. Designs: Fiji Airways also rebranded itself earlier this year drawing inspiration from Fijian Masi art New look: Fiji Airways got its new look from local culture and used the Teteva symbol on the tail Awards: The airline has won several awards for its 2014 redesign highlighting local culture Interior: Fiji Airways spared no expense on its interior, decorating each seat with a beautiful cushion Last year, Bangkok Airways introduced kid-friendly mascots on its livery to appeal to families.

In general, the airline is known for its colorful planes. Bangkok Airways: The airline introduced kid-friendly mascots on its livery to appeal to families New Caledonia airline Aircalin is another airline which updated its livery this year when it received its first delivery of A320s. The airline took traditional symbols of the region -- the hibiscus flower and Kanak art -- to create a new look. Aircalin: It updated its livery this year when it received its first delivery of A320s using the hibiscus flower and Kanak art both traditional symbols And in the run-up to the 2012 Olympics, liveries were used to market the games. To mark Hello Kitty's 40th birthday, Taiwan's Eva Air introduced the Hello Kitty Jet to more locations around the world. However, one airline that has taken branding to another level is Air New Zealand. It partnered with the Lord of the Rings franchise, creating Tolkien-themed safety videos, and emblazoned the aircraft with a new decal each time a new film was released in cinemas.

Air New Zealand: This airline partnered with the Lord of the Rings franchise, creating Tolkien-themed safety videos, and emblazoned the aircraft with a new decal every time a new film came out All black: Air New Zealand introduced new all-black livery, featuring a decorative emblem of a New Zealand fern for the carrier's first 787-9 aircraft But although rebranding has worked for some carriers, it does not always have the desired affect. In 1997, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher famously showed her disgust for a British Airways tail fin redesign at a party conference. BA had recently ditched the Union Flag on its tail fins, replacing them with a series of unusual ethnic designs. But Thatcher was so alarmed at the sight of it that she took a handkerchief from her sleeve and covered the 747’s tail, pronouncing it ‘awful’.

Read more: THE YIN & YANG OF AIRLINE IDENTITY Subscribe to our mailing list Author's Featured Photo THE YIN & YANG OF AIRLINE IDENTITY Part One: Logos & Liveries THERE WAS A TIME, NOT TERRIBLY LONG AGO, when the logo of Pan American World Airways was one of the most widely recognized commercial trademarks in the world. There was nothing remarkable about the symbol — a fissured, blue and white globe reminiscent of a basketball — but it worked. The globe appeared in the 1950s and endured for almost half a century, right to Pam Am’s final breath in 1991. Aspects of the airline’s identity would change over the years, but through it all, the blue ball persevered. Had Pan Am survived, I suspect that globe would still be around. Since the dawn of civil aviation, airlines have been devising and revising what they believe to be meaningful identities. As explored by author Keith Lovegrove in his superb volume Airline: Identity, Design, and Culture, the logo represents only a slice of this overall branding process, which takes place on a score of fronts, from cabin interiors to crew attire to the color of maintenance vehicles.

But it’s the logo — the trademark, the company emblem, to be reproduced on everything from stationery to boarding passes — that encapsulates identity in a single, vital aesthetic mark. Everything else revolves around this. Many of the most renowned airline insignia incorporate national symbols or cultural associations: the shamrock of Aer Lingus, the Qantas kangaroo, the green cedar of MEA (Lebanon), the Thai Airways lotus. Subtler adaptations include Malaysia Airlines’ indigenous kite design, or the calligraphic brush stroke of Hong Kong’s airline, Cathay Pacific. But while symbolism is optional, simplicity, on the other hand, is a must. It has been said that the true test of a logo is this: can it be remembered and sketched, freehand and with reasonable accuracy, by a young child. Pan Am’s basketball fit this criteria beautifully, as does Lufthansa’s crane, the Air New Zealand “Koru” and many others. They’re dignified, unpretentious and unencumbered — and for exactly those reasons able to cultivate recognition the world over. Maybe they need a tweaking or two over time, but the template of such trademarks — the really good ones — remains essentially timeless.

And if you’ve got something like that, you dispense with it at your peril. Among the most deplorable branding moves ever made was American Airlines’ decision in 2013 to abandon its venerable “AA” logo. With its proud, cross-winged eagle, this was one of the most distinctive and enduring icons in all of aviation. Created by Massimo Vignelli in 1967, it always looked modern. Its successor is almost too ugly to be described – a vertical bar of red and blue, bisected by what’s supposed to be an eagle’s beak. Symbolically lifeless and hideous to boot, it looks like a linoleum knife cutting through a shower curtain. (For more on this travesty, see here .) Not that you can’t retain the outlines of a classic logo and still manage to ruin it, as demonstrated in recent years by several airlines that couldn’t leave well enough alone: Take the case of cargo giant UPS. The original United Parcel Service emblem featured a bow-tied box and heraldic-style badge—the work of Paul Rand, a legendary design guru who also did logos for Westinghouse and IBM.

It was a wonderful heart-and-soul manifestation of the company’s core mission: delivering packages. Its replacement is a singularly bland, almost militaristic “modernization.” The box and string have been deposed, swapped for a meaningless gold slash mark. If we didn’t know better, UPS could be a bank or insurance company. It’s the worst thing we’ve seen in the shipping business since the U.S. Postal Service came up with that monsterized eagle head. No less disappointing was the elimination of the tsurumaru, the red and white crane motif worn by Japan Airlines. Since 1960, every JAL aircraft featured what was possibly the most elegant airline logo ever conceived: a stylized depiction of the crane, lifting its wings into the circular suggestion of the Japanese rising sun. Beginning in 2002, this ageless symbol succumbed to what had to be the most regrettable makeover in industry history, replaced by an oversized, blood-red blob—a rising splotch—oozing across the tailfin. It was a terrible decision on aesthetic merits alone, and still worse considering the crane’s cultural importance in Japan. Apparently enough people complained, however, and the tsurumaru has been resurrected.

Bringing it back was an unusual move, marking one of the very few times an airline has reverted to a prior logo, but JAL couldn’t have made a wiser decision (American, are you listening?). A similar tragedy struck at Northwest Airlines several years ago. You might remember the carrier’s circular “NW” symbol, worn in white atop the bright red tail. Unveiled in 1989, this was a work of genius. It was an N; it was a W; it was a compass pointing toward the northwest. It was all of those, and perhaps the most memorable trademark ever created by Landor Associates, one of the industry’s most powerful identity creators. By 2003, it was in the waste can, bastardized into a lazy circle and small triangular arrow. Past tense, and good for that: Northwest and its ruined colophon no longer exist, having been folded into Delta Air Lines. Delta, for its part, is owed kudos for hanging onto its famous “widget” tricorn, albeit in revised colors. The widget says one thing and says it without a hint of fuss or pretension: Delta. Aeroflot gets a mention here too.

Overall, the Russian carrier’s newest paintjob is garishly overdone, but scores big points for retaining its winged hammer and sickle, virtually unchanged since the 1940s. And what of those logos that ought to be changed but haven’t been? For starters I give you the “Sir Turtle” mascot of Cayman Airways, who looks like he just crawled out of a Bosch painting. But needless to say, the corporate trademark is only one part of an airline’s visual presentation. An airplane is a very large canvas on which to make or break your statement. Enter the paint bucket. Decades ago, Braniff International was famous for dousing whole planes in solid colors — blues, greens, even powder pastels. In the same way, today’s de rigueur relies on perception of the airplane as a whole, rather than a separate body and tail. Traditional paintjobs approached these surfaces separately, while contemporary ones strive to marry body and tail in a continuous canvas. This has brought the once familiar “cheat line” — that thin band of paint stretching across the windows from nose to tail — to the brink of extinction.

There was a time when virtually every hull was decorated by horizontal striping, a custom now gone the way of those drive-up stairs and fancy inflight meals. With a stripe-less fuselage, the tail becomes the focal point. Some airlines, such as Qantas, rely on powerful fin markings that carry the entire aircraft. Others, such as Emirates, balance tail and fuselage through the use of oversized, billboard-style lettering. Still others go for a flying warehouse extreme — an empty white expanse with few details aside from a capriciously placed title. But the dominant theme in liveries these days is one of motion. There are enough streaks, swishes, arcs, twists, swirls, and curls out there to make anybody dizzy. And most of them, sadly, are indistinguishable from one another—overwrought, gimmicky, and self-conscious. See Avianca, TACA, and El Al for three of the worst examples. “The lowest common denominator of brand identity is something I call the ‘Generic Meaningless Swoosh Thing,’” says Amanda Collier, a graphic design veteran. According to Collier, “The GMST is what happens when any corporation tries to develop a new look.

The managers will talk about wanting something that shows their company is ‘forward thinking’ and ‘in motion,’ and no fewer than three of them will reference Nike, inventors of the original Swoosh. The creative types smile, nod, secretly stab themselves with their X-Acto knives.” As a result, there are fewer lasting impressions. Airplanes blur together in a palette of motion-themed anonymity. Somewhere is a vending machine. Airline executives drop in a million dollars worth of consulting coins, and out pops another curvy-swervy variant of the GMST. With few exceptions (Aeromexico is one), these designs are so dismally uninspired that it’s hard to look at them without yawning. They are meant to be sophisticated and suggestive of movement and energy, but all they really do is make your airline indistinguishable from everybody else’s. Watching from a terminal window, people are asking the one question they should never have to ask: What airline is that? Keeping all this in mind, let’s critique the latest liveries of North America’s ten major airlines: 1.

United Airlines When United and Continental Airlines announced their merger in 2010, this combination paint scheme was unveiled marrying the Continental tail and fuselage with the United typeface. “Continented,” let’s call it. It’s a good-looking design, and we understand the sentiment, but doing away with United’s friendly and familiar “U” emblem was a mistake. The U — a feathery, truncated tulip in its final, pre-merger form — was never especially dashing, but Continental’s segmented globe, now in its place, is so boring that it looks like a PowerPoint slide. Also I miss the fully spelled “United Airlines,” used in the 1990s, which had more gravity than a lackadaisical “United.” And hold your breath: rumors say the carrier might be moving to a GMST-style side stripe in the near future. Crisp, light, ultra-corporate. Overall grade: B-plus 2. Delta Air Lines “Delta puts on a tux,” is how one person describes it. It’s a sophisticated, upmarket look.

The typeface is very handsome, as is the newly textured widget up on the tail, now in a two-tone red (an apparent nod to Northwest, which became part of Delta in 2010). The drawback is the anemic fuselage and its scrawny blue understripe. A bolder bottom, maybe with some red accenting, would put it over the top. Tight, confident, stylish. Overall grade: B 3. American Airlines One of the few vintage holdouts, American hadn’t changed its colors in forty years, hanging tough with its polished silver body, gothic tail bird and tricolor cheat. It wasn’t anything beautiful, but give them credit for bucking four decades of design fads. American’s new look, launched in 2013, manages to be boring and garish at the same time. As already discussed, the real crime here was forsaking the ageless “AA” logo. I can live with the piano key tail and the ghostly gray typeface, but killing off that trademark was unforgivable. Tragic, ruinous, patriotic. Overall grade: D-minus (Here’s a shot of the old scheme. For the new one see here .) 4.

Southwest Airlines The old Southwest used lengthwise fillets of red and orange, topped with a peculiar khaki that the airline called “desert gold.” It was homely as hell, but at least it was unassuming and geographically correct. Having expanded far afield, the airline’s look, if not its name, was thought something too parochial, and so it has been, um, refreshed. Refreshed to the point that a Southwest jet looks like an amusement park ride, or an overly rich dessert concocted by a hungry child. The roof of every plane is a cotton-candy purple, delineated from a neon-red underside by a nose-to-tail ribbon of yellow. Even the cowls and wheel hubs have been splashed with confection. Who signed off on this? Next time, hide the peyote. Exuberant, profuse, may rot your teeth. Overall grade: F 5. US Airways Until a few years ago, US Airways had one the best schemes in the sky, with its smoky, post-apocalyptic gray and smart red accenting. The current design was unveiled in 2005 after the merger with America West, and attempted to incorporate motifs from both carriers.

The flag and font are US Airways; the lightly sprayed fuselage jags are America West; the feeling is Walmart. Couldn’t they just have given everybody a watch? The tuck-under at the nose is especially frivolous and ugly. Downmarket, cheap, contrived. Overall grade: D 6. Air Canada Taking a cue from US Airways, our friends to the north ignored the if-it-ain’t-broke clause mucked up one of the strongest looks around. The maple leaf lives on, and that’s a good thing, but it’s been strangely pixelated. The soapy blue fuselage is — how else to put it? — unique. It does have a certain glacial pallor, I guess, in keeping with things Canadian. It also evokes the tiling in an airport men’s room. Just plain odd. Overall grade: D 7. jetBlue JetBlue uses a grab-bag series of tail markings, with different geometric patterns painted in alternating shades of, guess what, blue. Squares, diamonds, polka dots, and plaids. There’s one that looks like a circuit board. It sounds fun, but they’re rather uninspired.

The rest of the plane is an exercise in nothingness — a bare white top, navy bottom, and the jetBlue name in a coy, too-small font. Blue, bland, blah. Overall grade: C-minus 8. AirTran I reckon there isn’t an artist alive who could take white, teal green, royal blue, candy-apple red, and make them look good together, but that didn’t stop AirTran from trying. In case it wasn’t ugly enough, they threw in some gratuitous curves and swooshes. And while I confess to liking the big italicized “A” on the tail, somebody needs to reign in the tacky practice of painting website addresses on engine cowls and winglets. Assertive, unconventional, unhinged. Overall grade: F (Note: Southwest’s takeover of AirTran means this one is being phased out.) 9. Alaska Airlines Ignoring that Alaska Airlines is actually based in Seattle, we love the parka-wearing Eskimo mascot, whose smiling face graces every tail. It’s a downhome — wherever home is, exactly — and effective touch.

Revisionists have attempted to discredit the visage by claiming it’s the face of Old Man Winter, Johnny Cash, or even Che Guevara, but the airline’s communications department assures me he’s indigenous. In any case, he’s not the problem. What sinks this scheme is the frightful fuselage writing, running billboard-style ahead of the wing. If you ever try composing the word “Alaska” on an Etch-a-Sketch while being electrocuted, this is what you’ll come up with. Folksy, ethnic, impossible to read. Overall grade: D 10. Hawaiian Airlines It’s charming that states 49 and 50 both have gone with faces on the tail. One a man, the other a woman, they gaze longingly at each other from across the vast Pacific. Both have character, but Hawaiian’s island maiden is more colorful, and prettier, than Alaska’s wintry Inuit. The blobbish lavender petals creeping up the rear fuselage are a little odd, but on the whole there’s a nice balance between front and back. The typeface is perfect. Warm, sunny, a little sexy.

Overall grade: A-minus What can I say, I’m a tough grader. I wonder what Sister Wendy or the late Robert Hughes would think. Thinking back to airlines that no longer exist, one of the things I miss is the old PSA smile. California-based Pacific Southwest Airlines used to apply smile decals to the noses of its jets. It wasn’t anything showy, just a thin black curve. It was a DaVincian, ambivalent kind of smile that didn’t get under your skin — as if each plane were expressing contentment simply at being a plane. (Alaska’s Eskimo is smiling too, but I don’t trust him.) The PSA name, if not its good mood, has been retained by its inheritor, US Airways, and reassigned to one of their commuter affiliates. In Ohio. Deserves a frown if you ask me. One of these days I’ll put together a report card for Europe and Asia. People might assume we Americans are outstyled by our foreign competitors, but that’s not necessarily true. Just to choose one, take a look some time at the newest EgyptAir paintjob, a perfect example of everything that is wrong with airline branding so far in the 21st century.

Almost unspeakably awful, it looks like the uniform for an amateur hockey team. Similarly, check out Air-India’s latest. They downsize the little Taj-Mahalian window outlines to the point where you can’t see them, and threw a gaudy, sunburst-style spinning wheel up on the tail. British Airways earned a spot in marketing infamy when, in 1997 and to considerable fanfare, it unveiled its “world images” look. A dozen or so unique patterns, each representing a different region the world, were chosen for the tails of BA aircraft. Out went the quartered Union Jack and heraldic crest, and in came Delftblue Daybreak, Wunala Dreaming, and Youm al-Suq. It was all very progressive, multicultural, and revolting.

Newell and Sorell, creators of the campaign, called it “a series of uplifting celebrations.” Others called it “a wallpaper catalog.” Prime Minister Thatcher once draped a handkerchief over the tail of a 747 model and said, “We fly the British flag, not these awful things.” World Images was abandoned in 2001, replaced by the fleetwide red, white, and blue still in use today, and that makes every BA aircraft look like a huge can of Pepsi. And yes, I have seen Southwest’s killer whale 737, Shamu, and all the similar novelties. Jetliner hulls have been painted up to commemorate everything from ethnic identity to the Olympics. One of the more distinguished was an Aborigine-inspired Qantas 747 called Nalanji Dreaming. By the mid 1990s this concept finally crossed an inevitable threshold, with carriers leasing out their exteriors to paying advertisers in the style of a Manhattan bus. Ryanair exploits this to boorish excess, as did the now-defunct Western Pacific Airlines, the Colorado-based operator whose “logojet” 737s advertised, among other things, hotel casinos and car rental companies.

FOX-TV paid to have one of those 737s done up to promote “The Simpsons” — with Marge’s blue beehive riding up the tail. Western Pacific went bust around the time that “The Simpsons” finally became unwatchable (1996 was the last tolerable season), and billboard schemes have remained, for now, the exception and not the rule. Here’s hoping it stays that way. BA restores Union flag design to all tailfins - Telegraph BA restores Union flag design to all tailfins By Paul Marston, Transport Correspondent 12:00AM BST 11 May 2001 BRITISH Airways is to restore the Union flag to its entire fleet of 290 aircraft, four years after embarking on a £60 million experiment with "world images" that were widely disliked by passengers and crew. Rod Eddington, the airline's Australian chief executive, has told colleagues that the company needs to "reinforce its Britishness" which he believes is greatly admired overseas as well as in this country. His decision brings down the curtain on the disastrous "re-launch" of BA devised by his predecessor, Bob Ayling, in 1997 .

Mr Ayling maintained that the flag was seen as "remote and aloof", and began replacing it on tailfins with a variety of multi-coloured images drawn largely from Africa and Asia. The unpopularity of the designs, derided by flight crews as "Air Zulu", forced BA to suspend the repainting process in 1999 after more than half the fleet had been given the new liveries. Managers subsequently insisted that the carrier would retain its dual look, because some of the images had been well received abroad. However, exactly 12 months after replacing Mr Ayling , Mr Eddington has ordered that the Chatham Dockyard Union emblem, first seen on Concorde, will be painted on all 180 aircraft which do not have it over the next two years. The 28 "world images" designs will also be removed from all boarding passes, ticket wallets, baggage tags and business cards. A senior BA executive said: "Rod feels that Britishness is at the core of this airline's appeal. We are a global carrier, but we are British and proud of it - and it is not just Britons who like our Britishness.

Rod wants BA to be associated with Britain in the same way that BMW is associated with Germany, symbolising quality in a way that is understood worldwide." Related Articles Mr Eddington, a former Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, has been particularly concerned that the ethnic art has received its highest disapproval ratings from the company's most valuable customers: business travellers between Britain and North America. A change has been under consideration for several months, and gathered momentum after British Midland - BA's biggest short-haul competitor - downgraded "British" in its title in favour of "bmi". BA executives believe the move is proving a mistake. Mike Crump, the airline's senior design manager, said it was time to "bring back consistency and unity" to the BA brand. He went on: "Research has shown us that our Union flag design is liked by our core customers and staff worldwide because it better reflects the direction the company is now heading." Emphasising Britishness would highlight the prestige of the BA brand, and support the strategy of focusing on high-value frequent travellers and efforts to improve customer service. Airline logo designs Airline logo designs This is the first in a series of logo designs from famous airlines around the world.

Where possible, I have indicated the year in which the logo was designed, and the designer responsible. Aer Lingus Designed in 1996. Aer Lingus was founded by the Irish Government in April 1936 to provide air services to / from Ireland. The first flight, from Dublin to Bristol, took place on May 27th 1936. The Irish shamrock symbol first appeared on Aer Lingus tailfins in 1965. A simple mark that captures the country well (green, leafy, quite lucky too?). Air Canada Designed in 2004. The maple leaf is the well-known symbol for Canada, and has been used for the organisation since it was known as Trans-Canada Airlines. American Airlines Designed by Vignelli Associates, in 1967 This is the typographic counterpart to the ‘AA’ logo with stylized eagle. Vignelli Associates are also responsible for the identity of Benetton and Great North Eastern Railway (GNER). British Airways Designed by Newell & Sorrell, in 1997 The BA ribbon was previously accompanied on tailfins by ‘ethnic art’ designs.

This didn’t last long, however, as former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, famously draped her hankerchief over a small model of BA 747 aircraft, showing her disgust at the design. What was it she said? “We fly the British flag, not these awful things.” Continental Airlines Designed by Lippincott Mercer, in 1991 For me, the globe symbol is too busy, and I’d prefer to see less detail. Interesting fact: In 1963, Continental hired the first black pilot to work for any major carrier in the United States, Marlon Green, after a United States Supreme Court decision allowed a Colorado anti-discrimination law to be applied to his case. From Wikipedia . KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Designed by F.H.K. Henrion, in 1961 Modified by Chris Ludlow at Henrion, Ludlow & Schmidt, in 1991. Interesting fact: KLM was founded on October 7, 1919, making it the oldest carrier in the world still operating under its original name.

Lufthansa Designed by Otto Firle, in 1918 Modified by Otl Aicher, in 1969 The man who invented Lufthansa’s brand-mark, Otto Firle, is said to have been thinking of a crane when he came up with the design. Otl Aicher introduced the circle, and some people wonder if the trapped bird signifies Lufthansa’s economy class. SAS Scandinavian Airlines Designed by Stockholm Design Lab, in 1998 SAS uses its proprietary typeface ‘Scandinavian’, designed by Stockholm Design Lab. Qantas British Airways | Logopedia | Fandom powered by Wikia Airtimes 1973–1984 A SVG version of this logo is recommended but not required. You can help Logopedia by uploading it here . British Airways was formed in 1973 through the merger of BOAC and British European Airways . However, BOAC and BEA had already started phasing in the new identity by then. The logo, identity and livery was created by Negus & Negus and presented in 1973.

Also part of the identity was a part of the Union jack that could be found a the tailfin of the planes. As a result of pressure from BOAC employees, the speedbird that was part of BOAC's identity was retained and put at the front of the planes. British Airways livery. Author: Bernard Lafond 1984–1997 On December 4, 1984, British Airways revealed a new identity and livery, created by Landor Associates . [2] [3] The choice of Landor sparked some controversy in the British design community, as it was unusual at the time for British companies to contract foreign agencies for design work. [4] Perhaps in an effort to stem criticism, British Airways' press release made sure to mention that other aspects of the rebrand would be handled by British companies, naming suppliers of paints, signs and stationery before mentioning Landor. The new livery featured three colours, which were called pearl grey, midnight blue and brilliant red. Many aspects of the Negus livery were kept. Although the shades were different, the lower part of the fuselage remained blue and the upper part had a slight colour change from white to "pearl grey".

The part of the Union Jack that was on the lower part of the tailfin was also retained, while the upper part of the tailfin was changed to blue and emblazoned with British Airways' coat of arms. The font of the name was also changed. The most distinctive change was the addition of the red "Speedwing" which runs along the entire fuselage. The Speedwing could also be seen in the airline's new logo. 1997–present British Airways unveiled a new identity on June 10, 1997. This was an attempt rid themselves of a stuffy overly British image and become a truly worldwide airline. The new identity was developed with Newell & Sorrell . A new ribbon symbol was developed, which would sit prominently at the front of the fuselage. It was called the "Speedmarque", hinting it link back to the old BOAC speedbird symbol. The typeface for the name became slightly "softer", but still retained similarities with its predecessor. The amount of blue on the fuselage was reduced in favour of more white. The shades of white and blue became brighter.

The most significant part of the multicultural identity was that the airline allowed artists from all over the world to repaint the entire tail with motifs the from the airline's diffrent destinations. When the "World Images" liveries were launched there were fifteen different tails designs. The original plans were to have up 50 different designs. British Airways : Map (The Full Wiki) The Full Wiki Top rankings for British Airways 2nd . It is headquartered in Waterside near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport and is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations. Its second hub is London Gatwick Airport . British Airways has discontinued all direct overseas flights from UK airports other than Heathrow, Gatwick and London City Airport . BA's UK passengers originating at non-London airports must now connect via London or use other airlines with direct services. The British Airways Group was formed on 1 September 1974 through nationalisation by the Labour Government of the time. BA was formed from two large London-based airlines, BOAC and BEA , and two much smaller regional airlines, Cambrian Airways Cardiff and Northeast Airlines Newcastle upon Tyne .

All four companies were dissolved on 31 March 1974 to form British Airways (BA) and almost thirteen years later, in February 1987, the company was privatised. The carrier soon expanded with the acquisition of British Caledonian in 1988 and Gatwick-based carrier Dan-Air in 1992. Despite being a primarily Boeing customer, British Airways placed a major order for Airbus aircraft in November 1998 with the purchase of 89 A320 Family aircraft. In 2007, the carrier placed its next major order, marking the start of its long-haul fleet replacement, ordering Airbus A380s and Boeing 787s . The centrepiece of the airline's long-haul fleet is the Boeing 747-400 ; with 54 examples, British Airways is the largest operator of the type in the world. The formation of Richard Branson 's Virgin Atlantic Airways in 1984 began a tense relationship with BA.

In 1993, the fierce rivalry led to "one of the most bitter and protracted libel actions in aviation history" in which British Airways apologised "unreservedly" for a “dirty tricks” campaign against Virgin leading to them paying damages and legal costs. Until 2008 British Airways was the largest airline of the UK, measured by passenger numbers. In 2008 the airline carried 35.7 million passengers. Rival UK carrier EasyJet carried 44.5 million passengers in the same year, taking the title from British Airways. British Airways is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index . On 31 March 2009 the airline celebrated its 35th anniversary. On 12 November 2009, British Airways confirmed that it had reached a preliminary agreement to merge with Iberia Airlines . The combined airline will become the world's third-largest carrier (after Delta Air Lines and American Airlines ) in terms of annual revenue.

History British Airways (BA) was created in 1972, when the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and British European Airways Corporation (BEA) managements were combined under the newly formed British Airways Board. This effectively made British Airways into the national airline for the United Kingdom and due to the lack of competition, the new company began to exert its position and significance. BA was one of only two airlines to operate the supersonic Aerospatiale-BAC Concorde ; inaugurating the world's first supersonic passenger service in January 1976. The final commercial Concorde flight from New York to London was on 24 October 2003. Sir John King , later Lord King, was appointed Chairman in 1981 with the goal of preparing the airline for privatisation. King was credited with transforming the loss-making giant into one of the most profitable air carriers in the world, boldly claiming to be "The World's Favourite Airline", while many other large airlines struggled. The flag carrier was privatised and was floated on the London Stock Exchange in February 1987 by the Conservative government.

In July 1987, British Airways effected the controversial takeover of Britain's "second" airline, British Caledonian . During the 1990s, BA became the world's most profitable airline under the slogan "The World's Favourite Airline". In 1993 BA formed British Asia Airways, a subsidiary based in the Republic of China ( Taiwan ), to operate between London and Taipei . BA also purchased a 25% stake in Australian airline Qantas , and acquired Brymon Airways to form BA Connect all in the same year. Lord King stepped down as chairman in 1993 and was replaced by former deputy Colin Marshall while Robert Ayling took over as the CEO. Benefits under his management included cost savings of £750m and the establishment of Go in 1998. However, one year on, in 1999, British Airways reported an 84 percent drop in profits, its worst since privatisation at the time. In March 2000, Robert Ayling was removed from his position and British Airways announced Rod Eddington as his successor.

Eddington set about cutting the workforce further, in response to the slump caused by the 11 September attacks in 2001. On 8 September 2004, British Airways announced that it was to sell its 18.5 percent stake in Qantas . In September 2005, new CEO Willie Walsh , former Aer Lingus boss, took charge of the company. In January 2008, BA unveiled its new subsidiary OpenSkies which takes advantage of the liberalisation of transatlantic traffic rights, and flies non-stop between major European cities and the United States. On 30 July 2008, British Airways and Iberia Airlines announced a merger plan that would result in the two airlines joining forces in an all-stock transaction. The two airlines would retain their separate brands similar to KLM and Air France in their merger agreement. Financial performance * Restated for the disposal of the regional business of BA Connect. Destinations British Airways serves nearly 150 destinations, including 6 domestic. Along with Delta Air Lines , Emirates , Korean Air , Malaysia Airlines , Qantas and South African Airways - is one of only seven airlines that fly to all six inhabited continents.

Fleet Current fleet With the exception of the Boeing 707 and Boeing 747 from BOAC, the airline as formed in 1972-4 inherited a mainly UK-built fleet of aircraft. The airline introduced the Boeing 737 and Boeing 757 into the fleet in the 1980s, followed by the Boeing 747-400, Boeing 767 and Boeing 777 in the nineties. However, with the exception of 29 of its 777 fleet, it has often equipped its aircraft with British-made Rolls-Royce engines, examples including the Trent 800 on its Boeing 777s, the RB211-524 on its 747-400s and 767s, and RB211-535s on its 757-200s. Boeing-built aircraft for British Airways are allocated the customer code 36, which appears in their aircraft designation as a suffix, such as 737-436, 747-436, 777-236.

Although it had a large Boeing fleet it has always operated other aircraft. British built aircraft were transferred from BEA (e.g. Trident) and BOAC (e.g. VC10 ), and in the 1980s the airline bought the Lockheed L-1011 . It has also acquired through the buyout of British Caledonian Airways in the 1980s the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and Airbus A320. In the late 1990s British Airways placed its own first direct Airbus order, for over 100 A320/A319s to replace its own aging fleet of Boeing 737s. In September 2007 BA placed its first order for long-haul Airbus jets, 12 Airbus A380s with 7 options. The British Airways fleet includes the following aircraft in September 2009: British Airways Fleet 1982 Future aircraft British Airways has 32 outstanding options with Airbus, which may be taken as any member of the A320 family. Secured delivery positions on 10 Boeing 777 aircraft are held.

On 27 March 2007, British Airways placed a firm order for four 777-200ER aircraft with an option for four more, with the order totalling more than US$800 million at list price. The company has stated that these are for fleet expansion. BA's first batch of 777 were fitted with General Electric GE90 engines, but BA switched to Rolls-Royce Trent 800s for the most recent 16 aircraft. This has been continued with the most recent four orders as Trent 800 engines were selected as the engine choice. On 27 September 2007, BA announced their biggest order since 1998 by ordering 36 new long-haul aircraft. The company ordered 12 A380 with options on a further seven, and 24 Boeing 787s with options on a further 18. Rolls-Royce Trent engines were selected for both orders with Trent 900s powering the A380s and Trent 1000s powering the 787s.

The new aircraft will be delivered between 2010 and 2014. The Boeing 787s will replace 14 of British Airways' Boeing 767 fleet and the Airbus A380s will replace 20 of BA's oldest Boeing 747-400s and will most likely be used to increase capacity on routes to Bangkok , and Sydney from London Heathrow. On 1 February 2008, it was announced that BA had ordered two Airbus A318s to operate a premium service out of London City Airport (LCY) to New York . The two A318s used for the service are fitted out with 32 lie flat beds in an all business class cabin, and the service began in September 2009. The A318 is the largest aircraft able to operate out of London City Airport. On 4 February 2008 the engine selection was announced as the CFM International CFM56 . Most of BA's fleet of A320 family aircraft are powered by International Aero Engines V2500 , however these engines are not available to power the A318.

It was subsequently announced that, because of runway length limitations at LCY, this route will include a westbound fuel stop. On 1 August 2008, BA announced orders for six Boeing 777-300ER and options for four more as an interim measure to cover for delays over the deliveries of their 787-8/9s. On 12 January 2009 CEO Willie Walsh stated that BA's purchase of six 777-300ERs did not indicate that they had ruled out purchasing the A350 for their fleet renewal program and "that the airline expects to reach a decision towards the end of the year." Marketing The musical theme predominantly used on British Airways advertising is " The Flower Duet " by Léo Delibes . This, and the slogan "The World's Favourite Airline" were introduced in 1989 with the launch of the iconic "Face" advertisement. The slogan was dropped in 2001, after having been overtaken by Lufthansa in terms of passenger numbers.

However, "Flower Duet" is still used by the airline, and has been through several different arrangements since 1989. The recent version of this melody was shown in 2007, with a new slogan, "Upgrade to British Airways". The advertising agency used for many years by BA was Saatchi & Saatchi , who created many of the most famous advertisements for the airline. It created the influential "Face" commercial for the airline; following the termination of its relationship with BA, it also made an imitation of this commercial for rival Silverjet in 2007. As of February 2007, BA's advertising agency is Bartle Bogle Hegarty . Prior to "The World's Favourite Airline", advertising slogans included: "The World's Best Airline". "We'll Take More Care Of You". "Fly the Flag". Online, the value of the British Airways Brand was pushed in 2002 as that the company was able to buy its acronym,and its IATA Airline code the letters "BA" as their internet domain ba.com. The domain was previously owned by Bell Atlantic .

Only four Airlines (AA, BA, LH, RJ, XL) and few companies own a two-letter domain name. British Airways is the official airline of the Wimbledon Championship tennis tournament , and the official airline and tier 1 partner of the 2012 Summer Olympics . Tail fins Since its formation in 1974, though to a limited extent until all aircraft were repainted, British Airways' aeroplanes carried a Union Flag scheme painted on their tail fins. The original predominantly red tail scheme was changed with the launch of a new livery designed by the New York design agency, Landor Associates. The new tail was predominantly dark blue and carried the British Airways Coat of Arms. On 10 June 1997 there was a highly controversial change from the use of the British colours to ethnic logos and abstract world images, Delftware or Chinese calligraphy for example. All the designs related to countries on the company's network of routes. This caused problems with air traffic control : whereas previously controllers had been able to tell pilots to follow a BA plane, they were now harder to visually identify because each plane was painted in a range of different colours and colour schemes.

Several people spoke out against the change from the traditional Union Jack Scheme, including the former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher ; BA's traditional rivals, Virgin Atlantic, quickly adopted the British flag along with the slogan "Britain's national flagcarrier". On 6 June 1999, BA CEO Bob Ayling announced that all BA planes would be repainted with the Union Flag, based on a design first used on Concorde. Cabins United Kingdom UK Domestic seat pitch is 31" on all aircraft and the seats are in a one-class configuration. Food on these services depends on the destination and time of day. On all UK Domestic services before 10am, a hot breakfast meal is served and after 10am there is a drinks service with a light snack. The exception is for Scottish flights to and from Heathrow in the evening, where a meal size salad is served. Business UK has exactly the same service (same cabin) as UK Domestic, with a fully flexible ticket and lounge access. Europe Euro Traveller seat pitch is 31", except on Boeing 757 aircraft where it is 32" and Airbus A321 aircraft where it is 30".

Food on board depends on the destination "band" (e.g. Band 1 to Paris, Band 3 to Rome, Band 4 to Athens). In-flight entertainment is offered on Band 4 flights on 767-300 aircraft. Club Europe is the short-haul business class product offered by British Airways on all short-haul flights (except within the UK). Passengers have access to business lounges at most airports and are also served a full English breakfast in the mornings or 'extended breakfast' on later flights (ham, salami etc) and afternoon tea later in the day. Seat pitch is 31" on most aircraft, but on the Boeing 757 fleet it is 36-37". Club Europe currently offers the same number of seats across as Euro Traveller but the middle seats are kept free. Starting 2 September 2009, Club Europe has seats in a 2-3 configuration on narrow-body aircraft - this change is being implelented progressively across the fleet. The middle seat is also kept free. Club Europe was originally lanuched on the 5 Janaury 1988 along with Club World.

International World Traveller cabin FIRST is the long-haul first class product on British Airways and is offered only on BA's Boeing 747 and Boeing 777 aircraft. There are 14 private "demi-cabins" with beds, in-seat power for laptops, personal phones, and entertainment facilities. Menus are upgraded from Club World and offer greater choice and quality. Some airports boast dedicated First check-in desks but in airports without a dedicated First check-in, passengers use Club World check-in. BA have announced that a long-awaited upgrade to the First cabin will be installed in September 2009, with a minor refresh taking place immediately. This has also seen the introduction of a private concierge service provided by Quintessentially. The last major First cabin update was back in 1996. Club World is the long-haul business class product of British Airways. Passengers have access to business lounges at most airports and an arrivals lounge at Heathrow Terminal 5. On 13 November 2006, British Airways launched a new Club World service (termed Next Generation New Club World), offering larger seats and a service revamp.

The Club World service provides a wide, long fully flat bed ( long in Next Generation New Club World cabins when in Z-bed position, which is not fully flat, the flat bed is still 6 feet), with 24 seats on the 767-300ER (New Club World), either 40 or 48 seats on the 777-200 (New Club World), and, since 2007, either 52 or 70 seats on the 747-400 (Next Generation New Club World). Club World was originally launched on the 5 Janaury 1988 along with the original Club Europe. World Traveller and World Traveller Plus are the two main economy classes offered internationally on British Airways. World Traveller is standard economy and offers a 31" seat pitch. World Traveller also offers seat-back entertainment systems, free meals and drinks and a fully adjustable headrest. World Traveller Plus is British Airways' premium economy offering and, in comparison to World Traveller, boasts a larger (38") seat pitch, fewer seats abreast, two armrests per seat, added recline and in-seat laptop power.

World Traveller Plus is situated in a separate cabin from World Traveller and in a quieter location in the aircraft. Special cabin configuration Spacing onboard aircraft in order to maximise the economics of a flight has become increasingly competitive. In 2001, British Airways became the first carrier to introduce a ten abreast economy class configuration on the Boeing 777, an aircraft which had been designed for nine abreast seating. This utilised specially built narrow seats and aisles, and was applied to three GE-engined 777-200ERs used predominantly on Caribbean routes, but sometimes flown to and from Florida. Since BA piloted this development, the configuration has been emulated by Emirates Airline , Air France , KLM and China Southern Airlines . British Airways has since removed this unpopular configuration, returning to standard nine abreast seating. Airport lounges British Airways operate different types of lounge for passengers travelling in the premium cabins and passengers with status. The Concorde Room at New York JFK Terminal 7 will be refurbished to the same standard as the Concorde Room at Heathrow Terminal 5A. First lounges are being replaced by Galleries First lounges.

Terraces and Executive Club lounges are being replaced by Galleries Club lounges. The Gate 1 lounge at Heathrow Terminal 4 will be closed when the three remaining BA long-haul services move to Heathrow Terminal 3 on 29 October 2009. At the same time, a new Galleries First lounge will open in Heathrow Terminal 3 to complement the existing Galleries Club lounge. At airports in which BA does not operate a departure lounge, a third party departure lounge is usually provided for premium/status passengers. A third party arrivals lounge is provided at London Gatwick Airport within the Sofitel hotel. Operations British Airways holds a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licence, and is permitted to carry passengers, cargo and mail on aircraft with 20 or more seats. BA is based at London Heathrow Airport in west London, England. It also has a major presence at London Gatwick Airport and at one time they had a significant hub at Manchester Airport . However, this was stopped when British Airways sold their sub company, BA Connect, in common with operations from other UK airports, which are now served only as spokes from the London hubs.

BA has succeeded in dominating Heathrow to the point that the airport is commonly referred to as Fortress Heathrow within both the airline and its competitors. As an incumbent airline, BA had grandfather clause to around 40% of all landing and taking off flight slots at Heathrow, many of which are used for the lucrative trans-Atlantic market. Some competitors, such as Virgin Atlantic and bmi, assert that this stifles competition and some political think-tanks recommend an auction of slots. In recent years British Airways has been buying slots from other airlines including United Airlines , bmi , Brussels Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines , and now owns about 40% of slots at Heathrow. BA CityFlyer is a subsidiary with Avro RJ aircraft based in London City Airport . BA CityFlyer operates around 250 flights per week from London City Airport. Despite being the National Carrier of the United Kingdom, British Airways does not operate flights to or from Wales and Northern Ireland and services to all airports 'north of Watford Gap' were severely truncated in March 2007. On 27 March 2008, BA moved almost half of their Heathrow operating staff, equipment, and aircraft to the new Terminal 5.

All BA flights will operate out of T5 by late 2009, except some service flights which will operate out of Terminal 3. T3 British Airways operations include long-haul codeshare flights and the European flights which are operated by Boeing 757 aircraft. Codeshare agreements , High Wycombe . With the creation of OpenSkies between Europe and the United States in March 2008, British Airways has a new subsidiary airline called OpenSkies (previously codenamed "Project Lauren"). The airline started operations in June 2008, and now flies from Paris to New York, JFK Airport. The former BEA Helicopters was renamed British Airways Helicopters in 1974 and operated passenger and offshore oil support services until it was sold in 1986. Franchisees Comair , based in South Africa, franchisee since 1996. Sun Air , based in Denmark, franchisee since 1 August 1996. Shareholdings BA owns a 13.5% stake in Spanish airline Iberia. It raised its stake in Iberia from 9% to 10% by purchasing American Airlines' remaining shares.

BA increased this further in March 2008 to a 13.5% stake, giving British Airways the right to appoint two board members. On 30 July 2008, British Airways and Iberia announced a merger plan that would result in the two airlines joining forces in an all-stock transaction. The two airlines would retain their separate brands similar to KLM and Air France in their merger agreement. BA obtained a 15% stake in Flybe when it sold its regional UK operation BA Connect to FlyBe in March 2007. The airline also owns a 10% stake in InterCapital and Regional Rail (ICRR), the company that manages operations of Eurostar Ltd. , ICRR members also include SNCF , NMBS/SNCB and National Express Group . Eurostar (UK) is the UK arm of Eurostar , the cross-Channel rail operator. Cargo BA is, through its subsidiary British Airways World Cargo, the world's twelfth-largest cargo airline based on total freight tonne-kilometers flown. BA World Cargo has global freight opportunities through the British Airways flight routes.

In addition to the main fleet, BA World Cargo wet lease three Boeing 747-400F aircraft from Global Supply Systems on a multi-year basis, as well as utilising space on dedicated freighters operated by other carriers. Dedicated freighter services gives British Airways World Cargo the opportunity to service destinations that are not available on their passenger route network. British Airways opened a World Cargo centre at Heathrow in the late 1990s. As an advanced automated freight handling centre, it can handle unusual and premium cargo, and fresh produce, of which it handles over 80,000 tons per year. BA World Cargo also handles freight at London's Gatwick and Stansted airports, and, through its partner British Airways Regional Cargo, at all of the main regional airports throughout the UK. Loyalty programmes British Airways Executive Club logo Executive Club The Executive Club is British Airways' main frequent flyer programme. It is part of the network of frequent flyer programmes in the Oneworld alliance. The Executive Club has three tiers of membership: Blue, Silver, Gold. The benefits of the Silver and Gold cards include access to airport lounges and dedicated reservation lines.

Unlike most airlines' frequent flyer programmes, the Executive Club keeps separate account of the redeemable BA Miles and the loyalty Tier Points. Flying in higher Classes of Service, i.e. Premium Economy, Business or First, will earn extra BA Miles and Tier Points. As of August 2009, Tier Points can be earned on any flight, including discounted economy fares. Discounted economy fares will only earn 25% BA Miles. Membership of the Executive Club will be extended annually upon attaining the relevant number of Tier Points. For instance, to maintain the Silver Executive Club will require 4 Premium Economy Returns between the UK and the US Eastern Seaboard. The number of tier points required for Silver and Gold card membership varies substantially between countries leading to some passengers changing their address to a European country in order to qualify for membership with fewer tier points. Redeemable miles expire after 36 months of inactivity. Premier BA operates an invitation-only Premier programme which gives more benefits than the Executive Club Gold Card scheme. It is given only by the BA board and has 1,200 members. Incidents and accidents

Question: In 1997 which airline replaced the flag on its tail fin with ethnic designs from around the world?
Answer: British Airways